U.S. stock index futures pointed to a flat open on Wall Street on Friday following the previous session's drop, as investors await all-important monthly jobs figures.

At 0847 GMT (3:47 a.m. EST), futures for the S&P 500 were up 0.09 percent, Dow Jones futures were up 0.17 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures were up 0.08 percent.

The U.S. government's closely-watched monthly report on non-farm payrolls is expected at 1330 GMT (8:30 a.m. EST). Analysts polled by Reuters projected U.S. payrolls likely shrank by 130,000 in November, compared with a 190,000 decline in October.

Late on Thursday, Boston Federal Reserve Bank President Eric Rosengren said U.S. GDP growth in the fourth quarter was likely to be similar to the 2.8 percent logged in the third quarter, a level not enough to get the jobless rate down.

It will be a while before we get improvements in the employment outlook, Rosengren said.

On the macro front, investors will also keep a close eye on the unemployment rate, as well as U.S. monthly factory orders.

Tech shares will be in focus after TSMC <2330.TW> , the world's biggest contract chip maker, said it will allocate much more money for capital spending next year when it expects a faster 9 percent growth in global chip sales.

Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T> may not be able to achieve a smooth earnings recovery into next year as it had hoped, due to the yen's sharp rise against the dollar and the fragile state of the U.S. economy, a top executive said.

Japan's All Nippon Airways <9202.T> said it and fellow StarAlliance members United Airlines and Continental Airlines plan to apply for antitrust immunity to allow closer cooperation on transpacific routes.

Hedge fund Harbinger Capital partners has cut its stake in The New York Times Co yet again, about two years after spending half a billion dollars to become one of its largest shareholders.

AIA Group Ltd, the Asian life insurance unit of American International Group Inc , could raise between $5 billion and $10 billion in a planned initial public offering, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the situation.

U.S. video game publisher Take-Two Interactive Software Inc unexpectedly warned that it will post a loss this year, blaming release delays, high development costs and low baseball game sales.

Valero Energy Corp's CEO said on Thursday that U.S. refining margins remain depressed but he sees signs of improvement early next year.

Cisco Systems Inc said it plans to go ahead with its plan to buy Norway's Tandberg ASA , a deal that will create the world's leader in video conferencing equipment, although acceptances from shareholders were slightly below its target.

Goldman Sachs Chief Lloyd Blankfein is weighing plans to increase the share of compensation paid out in equity to executives in a bid to quell public anger over the probability of large pay-outs, the Financial Times said.

Bank of America Corp's board is set to meet next Tuesday and is expected to discuss the appointment of a new chief executive, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the situation.

Japan's Nikkei stock average added 0.5 percent on Friday, rising 10.4 percent on the week, its biggest weekly gain in over a year, with exporters such as Canon Inc <7751.T> gaining ground. European stocks were down 0.3 percent in morning trade, led lower by banks such as Credit Suisse .

U.S. crude futures fell for a third day on Friday, to below $76 a barrel The dollar dipped against the yen as traders took profits on the greenback's sharp rebound from a recent 14-year trough ahead of payrolls data.

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday after data showed the vast U.S. services sector unexpectedly shrank in November and investors worried that Friday's non-farm payrolls report may show the recovery is sluggish.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 86.53 points, or 0.83 percent, to end at 10,366.15. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> slipped 9.32 points, or 0.84 percent, to close at 1,099.92. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> fell 11.89 points, or 0.54 percent, to finish at 2,173.14.

(Reporting by Blaise Robinson; editing by Simon Jessop)

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